Telegram-herald., 1887-07-16
Over Forty Others Suffer Seri-
Gus Injuries.
A Collision on the Michigan
Central az 81. Thomas.
Oil Tanks Explode and Add
Terror TO the Disaster.
The Ale Brakes on a Loncor & Port
Stanley Excsrsion Train Refuse to
Work ana tue Train Crashes
Into Michigan Central
Freight.


us- s.gst V vss vs.s-s,4
81. TsoAAs. Ont. July t5.-One Of the
most appAiling disasters which has ever
happened II Western Ontario occurred a
TO rhis evening a. the crossing Of the
Michigan Central and London 4 Port
Stanley Railways, resulting IN the loss OF
ninsresn lives and the Injury Of over forty
other persons, three or four Of them fatally.
The special east bound Michigan Central
frsight tram was pulling out Of rhe yard as
= regular excursion train from Port Stanley
approached With ten coaches literally
packed with residents Of this city and Lon
den. Engineer Harry DOnnelly was IN
charge Of the Port .inIey traln and as she
was crossiny the bridge Il was noticed By
Fireman Slater that The semaphOre
vas closed against him as hs approached
Wellingt0n-st. lie applied tine air brakes
but they were useless and refused 10 work
he then whistied Tor brakes and reversed
bis engne. bas as the lever was what is
known a. q screw lever. some time was oc-
cupled ia reversing Il. tr0m Wellington
D. 20 The crossing the train ran with the
lever reversed. The violent whistling had
attracted pedestrians and passengers alike,
and that a collision was unavoidable WAS
evident The passengers commenced emery
able means OF egress Was taken advantage
OF. The majority o. the passengers in the
car next 10 the engine had been gotten
out when the engine plunged INTO the Michi-
gan Central freight. Engineer DOnelly could
De seen n tie cab with his hand on the
lever still endeavoTine 10 make the air
brakes work. As II the fateS were linked TO
add al additional horror to an already suffic-
isnty appalling affair. the section of the
f-of ~ urh n~fn Of
the passenger train pi0ughed, consisted of
two cars containing tanks SLED with crude
oil and a car loaded with barrels OF refined
oil and almost before the passengers heard
the crash Of the collision. which could be
heard tor miles. pyramid Of red ire and
black clouds lowered up in the air and in a
moment sheets Of ire reached out and en-
yeioped the ears and dwellings and ware
houses in the vicinity. When the engine
struck the OF tAnk IL tore the man-hole from
the top and but 4 moment elapsed before
the oil uss II a blaze and tae roaring of the
namss could be heard al over the city.
When the collision occurred, the engine
bent, swayed and surgsd for q moment and
finally turned, then partially fell over to the
ground on the other side Of the car. then
shot up a column Of flames through the
black smoke and cinders that was visible
I've miles away. accompanied by a roar
over-powering ike an ocean the symphony
of al other sounds. The burning oil was
scattered around in ali directions, setting
IRE 70 Grifin's coal and salt warehouses,
J. L. Campbells dwelling and water houses,
and other structures IN the vicinity. de-
str0ying al OF these and incurring loss Of
shout $4,000. The injured art, Harman
pousf0rd. Of the tire department. who was
literally sncircled by clouds OF flame and
when the smoke cleared away II was seen
that from head 10 foot he was a living mass
Of raues. He was promptly wrapped in
cloths and the flaming remnants Of his
clothes torn from bis blazing body exhibit
. cooked flesh beneath. HIS injuries
sre Of horrible nature ard be cannot re-
cover Chisf WalbOurne was seriously
bGrned about ths head and face. Jonn Nc
keliar burned badly on face and hands.
". Jefrey's face and hands. Nelson Gsdsby
By ears and head burned L. Reath badly
burned face and arms. I'd. Moon burned
face and hands. Engineer Joyce. ot e. =.
railway was mass Of flames hrs clothing
vas stripped from his body
BY willing hands and he was
tsxsn home in a Gao. The three year-Old
soa Of Z. Sattley vas a living mass Of
hames. lie cannot recover. John Gckel-
ar wss also badly burned. Charles Cnis-
hoim. A. Hudson. John Sterling. Allie and
Arcb. Noteworthy. Thcmas JOhnst0n.
Thomas Doberty. II. Nctalmen. Martha
Lsmsry. Frank Queen. Charles DRAKE. j.
Acksrman. and scores Of others. we're pain
fully burned ty the h.szins oil many Of
them panflily Hon. a. frances. United
States Consul, vas struck 6v n nose reel and
ffrrioiv injured Ills recovery IS dOGDttnl
The following Bodies have been recognized.
y. Dounelly, engineer 81 the excursion
train. j. " I0thor wife ac1 cauE 4fsT. A.
seelsnt add daughter.
Mrs W. II. Ming who. With her
tire children. was i'm the car
next 70 tbe end tells vivid story oftbe
wreck. This was The only car wrecked and
II was consequently in this car that the vic
tins Who we're Incinsrsfsd were riding.
Mrs. King states thar tbe train vas running
unusually fast from Port Stanley. and q
man Who vas in the car states thar the time
ocCurie6 Was bat fiftsen minutes A. Wei
ington-st. Mrs. King noticed thst the train
SisC Se,f sreed somewhat hut 70 wss not un-
"a tie train vas opposite Elizabeth II. that
soc suspected anything wrong. She was
looking oet Of the window and observed
tie Nj higan Central train Fora moment
she tbocznt he -rsin bad bees stopped -
allow passengers % Psss through. hut
CHANGING 20 iCok cut 81 the opposite win
dow she saw hat her irst Impressions were
incorrect. and that collision vas sboBt
70 take place. Almost Sc soon as she
realized the fsct The crsS came The loco
motive of ne passenger train parted fke
freight and the rear section Of the latter
crashed into the passenger train. The
utmost confusion A. once arose ard the
sbrieks az the women ard children we're
hssrt-re1dipe ia q mouent iarsss broke
ouE A J. Renly and A. a. Draks 81 once
rescued Mrs. kinr snd Mrs WssE and their
children through TIE windows. aud others
ciam6eved oat through ne remaining win
dogs. Sefore the aeCitent Mrs. king no
ticed that Mrs. Sea sd and Mrs. WTifher
at together in the second seat froul ths for
ward snd of the ear Mrs. Writasr had her
three mcpths Old babe in her arms on the
eft hand side. Ms Eranie ueinz seated or
posite her. Ar. Seslani Witf his Two
months old baby. was seated 3n the opposite
siie. Fhere ws-e also fS, -arre : sef men
seated two sesfs behind Ms Sasland ard N-ss
Wrlher. She did nrt reccrrize Who shsr
were ~ the eight ae. one NJ. SssI8nd is
kucwn - have escaVe+ Alex Wsfsou. a
ira1d Trunk Railway brakeman, was
tlaFn up into the .i- kr the explosion and
hsd bis coliar bone or0sen bv the salL A
Chridlsy 80 r1u over 5y 10 hose reel and
hsa ais isS ses-a-